Violin string tensioning device



June 13, 1939. M AMQNQ' 2,162,007

' I VIOLIN STRING TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1, 1938 Inventor Attorney:

Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a violin tailpiece attachment or accessory such as has now become commonly known in the art and trade as a violin E-string anchoring and tensioning de- 5 vice.

As implied by the preceding introductory statement, I am sufficiently conversant with the prior state of the art and the trade in general to realize that numerous types and styles of string tension- 1() ing devices have been adopted and used. In a generic sense, those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will appreciate that these devices generally include an adapter or attaching bar or plate. Means is provided at one end 15 for fastening on the tail-piece, generally in the conventional keyhole slot. In addition, an adjustable string anchoring element, such as L-shaped lever is associated with the plate and a thumb screw is in addition provided for effec- 90 tuating fulcruming of the lever to increase and decrease the tension on the looped end of the E-string.

Reviewed with greater particularity, it is substantially common in devices of this class to employ a sleeve-like stud or tubular rivet for the purpose of attaching the bar or plate to the tailpiece. Advantage is generally taken of this by internally threading the tubular member so that it then functions as an adjusting nut to accommodate the knurled thumb screw for exerting end thrust pressure on the pivoted L-shaped lever to adjust the latter. The distribution of strain and stress is such under this elongated lever construction as to subject the tail-piece to a downward 9 pull, causing it to tilt and slope downwardly and inwardly toward the belly of the instrument.

Due to this canting of the tail-piece it sometimes happens that there is insufiicient clearance between the string tensioning lever and the body 4 of the musical instrument to permit proper adjustment of the lever and hence the differential action must be taken up by resetting the lever again and tuning the wooden peg in the peg box.

In reducing to practice the principles of the 45 present invention I have found it expedient and practicable to provide fastening means at the rear or inner end of the bar-like plate for securely attaching this to the tail-piece, this means being absolutely free and independent of the thumbtype adjusting means for the string anchoring lever. In addition, the lever in the present invention is relatively small, being of a miniature L- shaped type, and is mounted wholly on that portion of the bar which extends beyond the adjacent 55 forward or outer edge of the tail-piece. This positions the thumb screw outwardly and forward of the tail-piece and therefore the string anchoring means is not in the objectionable superposed relation above the tail-piece as in other devices.

With these general features and advantages in 5 mind, a fair comprehension of the object to be attained is believed to be evident.

Other features and advantages will, however, be pointed out as the description proceeds and concludes. 10

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a top plan view showing a fragmentary portion of a violin, the tail-piece, the four strings including the E-string, and the string tensioning device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device per se showing the tail-piece in section and illustrating how the device cooperates therewith.

Figure 3 is a long tudinal sectional View through the device shown in Figure 2 with the L-shaped member in elevation to bring out its configuration and association with the companion features.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Figure 1, it will be observed that the fragmentary portion of the violin is distinguished by the letter V. Attached to this is the conventional tail-piece T having the keyhole slot S to which the four strings are adapted to be connected. The strings are the customary E, A, D and G strings.

The improved string tensioning accessory or device is denoted by the numeral 4. It comprises the usual bar-like adapter plate or member 5. This is longitudinally elongated and in the present instance, at its rear or inner end, it is provided with a solid upstanding stud 6 threaded and adapted to extend up through the to .0111- 40 modate a binding or thumb nut l. The thumb nut has a conical portion to project into the slot to securely and intimately fasten the bar to the under side of the tail-piece. The outer or for-- ward end portion of the bar projects the adjacent front edge of the tail-piece where it is bifurcated. The furcations 8 are parallel is obvious, and form a sort of a sheath for the string adjusting lever unit 9. Moreover, the furcations are of vertical dimension greater than the thickness of the bar 5 so to rise above the same and to form a shoulder in close spaced proximity from the adjacent end or edge portion of the tailpiece. Forming an integral part of this assembly is a nut 10 which bridges or spans the space between the furcations, this being threaded to accommodate the pressure screw H, and the latter having a knurled thumb piece l2 above the nut to facilitate manipulation.

The lever unit 9 is mounted on a transverse pivot i3 between the outer extremities of the furcations. The extended narrow end portion M of the lever is disposed between the furcations as is the main shouldered body portion 15. The latter portion carries a riser l6 whose upper crown edge I! is curved to facilitate riding the loop l8 of the string into the kerf or notch l9 in the rear end portion of said riser. Thus the features I 6 and [9 form a hook whose normal position is above the upper edges of said furcations. This miniature L-shaped string tensioning lever is substantially Wholly or completely confined in the sheath formed by the embracing furcations 8. Thus stability and rigidity is main tained under all conditions.

It is to be pointed out, as before indicated, that the fastening means 6 and 1 for the bar is absolutely independent of the string tensioning means on the outer end of said bar. This permits the bar to be independently anchored on the tailpiece. It also provides string tensioning means on that portion of the bar which projects beyond the adjacent front end portion of the tailpiece. Consequently, we have the tensioning means at one end of the bar and the anchoring means at the opposite end of the bar.

Close inspection of the invention in comparison to known prior art devices will reveal appreciable refinements and distinctions individualizing the present invention. So that the apparent merit may however, be better visualized, it is to be observed (see Fig. 1) that the conventional tailpieoe has four companion keyhole slots for the respective A, E, D and G strings. The keyhole slots are equi-distances apart, the D and G strings being anchored in the slots on one side of the longitudinal median portion of the tailpiece. By the same token the remaining two strings, that is, the A and E strings are on the opposite half portion of said imaginary longitudinal median line. Thus, when all four strings are anchored the pull on the floating tail-piece is substantially equalized. This means, therefore, that the tail-piece is in alignment with the bridge (not shown) except when one of the strings is disconnected by breakage or otherwise. It is therefore desirable to maintain an equalized straightforward pull on the tail-piece. By the same token, this uniform anchoring of strings, permissible with the present invention, is not apt to allow either frontal corner portion of the tailpiece to swing too close or too far from the underlying belly or body of the instrument.

It is also desirable to maintain this proper constant position of the tail-piece to have all four of the string-ends attach or anchor to the tailpiece in substantially the same place. This will avoid undesirable tilting of the tail-piece. By carefully scrutinizing Figure 2 of the drawing it will therefore be seen that through the instrumentality of this attachment the accommodation kerf in the adjusting lever for the E string is located on a predetermined elevation. Thus, it is on a line substantially in alignment with the axis of the tail-piece. Hence, the kerf is neither above nor below the top and bottom surfaces of the tail-piece. It follows therefore that by anchoring the looped end in the kerf in this position, the desired principle of equalization and stress distribution and strain is accomplished.

That is to say, there is a constant endwise pull from an elevational point which is calculated to avoid either rise or fall of the tail-piece on the E string side.

Were it not for this predetermined elevational location of the loop or anchored end of the E string, which is not appreciably varied by the adjustment of the thumb screw, the undesirable sag or lift of the E string carrier of the tailpiece would alter the pitch of the A, D and G strings during the operation of the tensioning and tuning device for said E string. The constant and direct outward pull assured through the instrumentality of my improved device serves to avoid any interference with the relative intonation and pitch of said A, D and G strings. I have found that this feature of refinement and precision is not matched nor duplicated in prior art devices with which I am familiar.

The method of attachment as well as the use of the device, will be evident to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. It is so well known that the wooden peg in the peg box is insufiicient to correctly tune a wire E-string, that tensioning devices are now required for accuracy and finesse in positively securing the true pitch and making rapid adjustment of the pitch without turning the tuning peg, that any device which is more responsive and a refinement is a worthy contribution to the trade and the art.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawing will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. Therefore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

What I claim is:

1. A violin string accommodation and tensioning attachment for a conventional tail-piece comprising a longitudinally elongated one-piece bar unit having a right angularly disposed rigid stud and clamping nut at one end for operative connection with the keyhole slot in the tail-piece, the opposite outer end of said bar being thickened to provide a riser, said riser being bifurcated, a nut superimposed upon and formed integral with the inner end portions of the fur-3ations, a horizontal pivot pin mounted in the on free end portions of said furcations, furca tions and nut forming a sturdy sheath, an E..- shaped lever, one limb thereof being interposed for movement between the furcations, the other limb extending above the furcations and being provided with a string loop accommodation kerf, said lever at the juncture of said limbs being mounted on said pivot, the upper end of the kerf equipped. limb terminating on a plane below the top of said nut, an adjusting screw having a finger-piece and threaded stem, said stem being threaded downwardly through said nut and pro jectable to a point between the furcations for engagement with the underlying portion of the first named limb.

2. In a structure of the class described, in combination, a conventional violin tail-piece provided with an aperture, a unitary bar member functioning as a foundation-unit and having its major portion in intimate contact throughout its length with one surface of the tail-piece, said bar member being provided at its inner end with a right angularly disposed rigid threaded stud projecting upwardly through the aperture, a clamping nut on said stud fastening the bar member rigidly to the tail-piece, the outer end of the bar member being bifurcated, a horizontal pivot mounted in the outer end portions of the furcations, a relatively small L-shaped lever mounted on said pivot pin having one limb operable between the furcations, the other limb being provided with a kerf and forming a string loop accommodation and retention seat, said seat being located in a plane midway between the top and bottom surfaces of the tail-piece so that the attached string may occupy a predetermined level in alignment with the longitudinal axial dimension at said midway point, and a set screw supported on said furcations for cooperation with the thrust limb of said lever.

3. In a structure of the class described, in

combination, a conventional violin tail-piece, an L-shaped lever embodying a thrust limb and a string anchoring limb, the last named limb being provided with a hook forming kerf to accommodate the adjacent looped end of an E string, a foundation attachment rigidly secured to the tailpiece including a horizontal pivot, said lever being mounted on said pivot, an adjusting screw on said foundation member engageable with the thrust limb of the lever, the kerf being disposed in a horizontal plane in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axial dimension of the tailpiece, whereby to position the string on the level with the tail-piece and to maintain a constant direct pull in a direction to overcome lifting or tilting of the E string-attached area of the tailpiece in relation to the body of the instrument.

MICHAEL GAMBINO. 

